Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers has said he thinks it is “unlikely” Theresa May will lead the Conservative Party into the next election.

The backbencher made his comment before Wednesday's Queen’s Speech which saw the Tories drop many of their more “contentious” manifesto policies, such as reforming social care and establishing new grammar schools.

The snap election, called by Mrs May in attempt to increase the Tory majority in the House of Commons, saw a hung parliament returned, with the Prime Minister now commanding a minority government.

Having been more than 20 points ahead of Labour – according to some opinion polls – at one point during the campaign, many believe Mrs May’s premiership to be damaged beyond repair after the shock election result where Labour gained more than 30 seats.

The fact that she pulled the plug on personally-backed pledges, such as her new grammar schools policy which faces opposition both in the Commons and from within her own party, showed how her hand had been weakened.

Read More

“I think the important thing at the moment is to provide some stability and continuity.

“We are embarking on the Brexit negotiations. That’s clearly crucial to the country. We’ve got to get it right.

“I think and would hope that she will lead us through that based on the principles she herself has outlined in recent months. And then perhaps the party will stop and pause.”

Theresa May ditched many of the policies set out in the Conservative election manifesto at the Queen's Speech

A YouGov poll released this week showed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to be one point ahead of Mrs May when people were asked who they would like to be prime minister.

YouGov were one of only two opinion poll companies to correctly predict a hung parliament.

The Tory leader also faced criticisms for not meeting with survivors of the Grenfell tower blaze in west London, which is thought to have claimed 79 lives, instead choosing to meet with emergency services personnel in private.

Read More

Asked whether he still felt it “unlikely” that she could lead her party to the polls again, he replied: “Who knows?

“In politics, as the old adage goes, a week is a long time and who would disagree with that right now?” he said.

Mrs May has been in Brussels this week for a European Council meeting where she offered EU citizens who had lived in the UK for 5 years or more the opportunity to have the same rights as British nationals in terms of status.

She said the deal hindered on British nationals living in EU countries being offered the same terms.